Of the Sea
by aliceistiny
Summary: Pan's curse was never taken into action. All is well in Storybrooke six months later and things have finally returned to normal. But when a ghost from Hook's past returns and catches the interest of a reformed Peter Pan, Killian Jones must step up to a role he refused to play years ago. BETTER SUMMARY INSIDE. Give it a shot. Don't be harsh. ENJOY!
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: ALTERNATE UNIVERSE. They caught Pan just before he could initiate the curse and rip everyone's memories away. All is well in Storybrooke, and Pan is kept under lock-and-key by the Charming Family. However, when a ghost from Captain Hook's past returns, Peter catches its interest and Hook is forced to take on a role he refused to play many years ago.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters.**

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><p>"<em>Do we have a deal? Can we go our separate ways?" Milah asked Rumpel, after tossing the magic bean to Killian.<em>

"_Do you mean, do I forgive you? Can I move on? Perhaps. Perhaps. I can see you are twuly in love," Rumpelstiltskin retorted, a mischievous gleam in his green eyes._

"_Thank you."_

"_Just one question."_

"_What do you want to know?"_

"_How could you leave Bae? Do you know what it's like, walking home that night—" he started, anger overcoming him._

"_Rumpel—" _

"—_Knowing I had to tell _our_ son—"_

"—_Please—" She pleaded._

"—_His mother…was dead?"_

"_I was wrong to lie to you, I was the coward. I know I—"_

"_You left him! You abandoned him!"_

"_And there's not a day that goes by that I don't feel sorry for that!"_

"_You're sorry— Enough! You let him go."_

"_I let my misery cloud my judgment," she admitted._

"_And why were you so miserable?"_

_Milah approached her ex-husband, courage evident in her squared shoulders. She looked him in the eyes with pure loathing while she spat out of her mouth:_

"_Because I never loved you."_

_In an instant, Rumpelstiltskin's arm was embedded into Milah's chest. A moment later, her beating heart was in the palm of his hand. Milah collapsed to the floor, any strength she once had now ripped from her hold._

"_NO!" Hook cried, rushing to her side and gathering her body into his arms._

_Milah looked up at the pirate, love and longing in her grey eyes. She lifted a gentle finger to caress his cheek and smiled at her love. Killian's panicked face ran over her features, etching her memory to mind. Any words needed to be said died on his lips, his frenzied mind unable to form syllables. Out of the corner of their eyes, Rumpelstiltskin slowly crushed her heart in his hand._

"…_I love you…" She whispered, eyes closing in finality._

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><p><em>Killian Jones stood over the cold body of his deceased love, Milah. He gazed at her seemingly asleep face, gently caressing her cheek with the hook now attached to his severed wrist. It was silent on the deck, the crew having given him a moment alone with Milah to say goodbye.<em>

"_Oh, love, what am I going to do?" he whispered into the air._

"_Captain?" called Smee from the wheel, wringing his red beanie in his hands._

_Hook signed longingly, tearing his eyes away from Milah to look at Smee. The stout man looked nervously at the grieving man. The sound of a baby crying echoed from below the deck, snapping the two men out of their reveries. A stern façade overtook Killian's—now known as Captain Hook—face, reminding Smee of the man he once was before Milah's death._

"_Captain—" Smee started._

"_Mr. Smee, it's time."_

_Smee nodded and went to fetch the crew. One crewman approached Hook with a squirming bundle of blankets, soft cries coming from the bundle. Hook hesitantly took the bundle, cradling the baby's head with his one good hand. He bounced the baby gently in his arms, hushing its cries into soft whimpers._

"_Now, now, Marina," he cooed. "What would your mother say?"_

_The baby looked up at her father with grey eyes—Milah's eyes—and reached a tiny hand up towards his face. Hook inclined his head forward, planting a small, tender kiss on the inside of her palm. The girl smiled at him, her eyes crinkling in the same way Milah's had when she smiled that same smile at him. _You are the spitting image of your mother, love,_ he admitted to himself._

_He was vaguely aware of the sound of Milah's body hitting the water, as was the traditional ocean funeral for a sailor. He allowed a lone tear to slip discreetly down his cheek, the droplet sliding onto the palm he still pressed his lips against. Marina released a shrill cry, as if mourning the burial of her mother, the only sound breaking the depressed silence._

"_What do we do now, Captain?" Smee asked after a moment, a slight quiver in his voice._

_Hook tore his gaze from his shrieking daughter, turning to look at the man. The faces of his crew were solemn and disheartening, much like his own. _

"_We set sail, men, to Neverland."_

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><p><span><em>Present Day, in Storybrooke:<em>

Killian Jones woke up to the sun streaming in through the windows, Emma's warm body pressed against his side. The pirate sighed in absolute content and nuzzled closer to the blond woman's warmth. Emma stirred beside him, her blond tresses tickling his bare chest. The two groaned with their waking, stretching out any kinks that their night had left.

"Good morning," she grumbled, stretching into a sit-up with a wide yawn.

Hook opened his reluctantly, the sun momentarily blinding him. He turned his attention to his girlfriend, the light bouncing off of her golden locks. The sun hit in that perfect way that placed a halo around her head and an ethereal glow around her entire being. Hook smiled at her back.

"Morning, milady," he greeted.

"I'll go get the kid ready," Emma replied, to which Hook nodded in agreement. "You get dressed."  
><em>Knock. Knock. Knock.<em>

The two adults looked at each other in question, unsure who would be knocking at such an early time of day.

"Are we expecting anyone?" Emma asked, hand automatically twitching towards the bedside drawer that held her gun.

Hook shrugged at her. "Maybe your parents decided to drop for a visit?"

After the entire Pan ordeal, Emma and Henry had moved out of Snow's crowded apartment, and into one of their own. Hook, after a few months living on the Jolly Roger, moved in soon after to be with Emma, whom he had started dating once they captured Pan. After that, everything in Storybrooke had been relatively peaceful.

"I'll get the door then," Emma said, moving cautiously toward the front area of the apartment.

Emma approached the door slowly, hand reaching towards the kitchen counter to grab a metal spatula for extra measure. She jumped a bit at the sound of another set of impatient knocks, almost dropping the spatula in the process.

"I'm coming," she called towards the door.

After a brief check at their visitor through the peephole, she unlocked the door and opened it. The visitor in question had presumably taken steps away from the door after her knocking, having taken to leaning against the doorway across the hall. The visitor—a girl no older than sixteen or seventeen—raised its head to look at Emma, a questioning quirk in her eyebrow. The girl kicked off from the apartment door she had been leaning on and approached the blond, standing about half a foot shorter than Emma.

"Good morning," Emma greeted. "Can I help you?"

The girl leaned over both sides of Emma to take a peek into the apartment, appearing to be looking for someone. Emma placed herself in front of the girl's line of sight, arms crossed in defense against the peering.

"I said, 'Can I help you?'"

"I'm looking for someone," the girl answered, standing on her toes to try and catch more glimpses of the room.

"Emma, love, who's at the door?" called Hook as he appeared from the bedroom in leather pants and an unbuttoned shirt, fastening his hook to its harness.

"Father."

Hook and Emma's eyes snapped to the teenager in their doorway, questions running in their mind. Hook stepped back in shock, mouth agape and hook half-fastened. Emma turned to him in question, questions and demands dying on her lips at the sight of her frozen boyfriend.

Hook gulped. "Marina."

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><p><strong>And there you have it. My first ONCE UPON A TIME fanfic. Review and comment as you please but don't be too harsh. Thank you for reading.<strong>

**-alice**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you for the follows, faves, and reviews! Oh, my!**

**Now I just want to let you all know, I will be incorporating some Daddy!Killian and Marina before I incorporate Pan and Marina together because I still have no idea how I'm going to introduce Marina to Pan, haha. **

**Anyways, here is the second chapter to **_**Of the Sea.**_

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><p>Emma glanced over shoulder once more at the teenage girl that still stood in her doorway then turned back to an uncomfortable looking Hook. He glanced at the blond with an uneasy look, to which Emma gave him a pointed look and crossed her arms in an all-business matter.<p>

"Killian," she started. "Can I speak with you?"

Killian chuckled nervously, putting on a macho façade that resembled the cockier version of him from the first time he and Emma encountered.

"Now, love, I'm sure whatever you need to say to me, you can say in front of my daughter."

Emma huffed and started towards their bedroom, calling a "Now, Killian" over her shoulder. Killian receded back into the awkward, nervous stance he had previously taken. The pirate glanced at his long-lost daughter, who now stood completely in the room, the door shut behind her. He nodded at her and gestured to the catch as an invitation for her to stay before he joined his girlfriend in their room. Emma spun to face him the second he crossed the threshold.

"You have a daughter?" she spat. "Killian, why didn't you tell me this? Who is she? Where did she come from?"

As she ranted and paced, Hook approached her and slowly took her into his arms. He rested his chin on top of her blond head, letting her relax in his arms before speaking softly.

"Would you like to hear the story, milady?" he mumbled into her hair. He waited for her hesitated nod before recounting his tale. "Do you remember Milah?" Emma nodded again. "She was the wife of Rumpelstiltskin, as I'm sure you know, and the mother of Baelfire. We fell in love is all I can really say. While we were at sea, she became pregnant. Our Marina was born at the sea, love, on a beautiful day with the calmest seas a sailor could ever hope for. Merlin, she was a beautiful lass—the spitting image of Milah, still is."

"What happened?"

And so Killian delved back into his memory to recall that fateful day that cost him Milah's life. He briefly described the situation with the bean and how Milah had shown it to Rumpelstiltskin before tossing it to himself and asking for Rumpel's forgiveness. He stuttered over Rumpel's rage and fury that he had taken out on Milah before he ripped her heart out of her chest. He hesitated when he described how Milah's died in his arms and how Rumpel severed his hand from his wrist for the bean.

"But you tricked him, the bean was in your other hand."

"Aye, it was," he confirmed before continuing his tale. "After that whole ordeal, Rumpel left, thinking he had the bean. He had no idea that Marina was right below the deck, just about a year old. I imagine, if he knew, he would have killed me on sight; or worse, he would have killed Marina just for being our daughter."

Emma nodded in agreement. She paused in thought, as if something was slowly clicking in her mind. She turned in Killian's arms so they were face to face, looking up at him in question.

"Killian," she started, tone more serious than before. "Where has Marina been all this time?"

It was at that time when Killian removed himself from Emma's embrace and sat himself at the foot of the bed. The pirate rested his elbows on his knees and settled his head in his hand, an ashamed hunch in his shoulders. Emma took notice of the guilt that was evident in his shoulders and she stepped forward towards him.

"Killian, what did you do?" Hook mumbled something into his palm that the blond couldn't catch. "I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that."

He ran his hand tiredly down his face and glanced over his shoulder at the time. 8:30 in the morning. Hook inwardly groaned. _Bloody hell._

"I gave her up."

"I-I'm sorry, you did _what_?" Emma stuttered out, taken aback by the news. "Did you say that you gave her up?"

Killian sighed. "I'm not proud of my actions, love."

"I'm not proud of leaving Henry either but Marina was a year or two old and you gave her up? How do you do that?"

Hook sighed again, something that was slowly becoming a habit of his today. "Do we have to discuss this now? In case you've forgotten, love, my long lost daughter is sitting in our living room."

Emma groaned in an annoyed manner, obviously frustrated with his avoidance of her interrogation. She stomped up to the still sitting pirate and poked her finger into his shoulder.

"Fine," she agreed with a stern voice. "But we are finishing this discussion later, _pirate._"

Killian inwardly groaned. The term 'pirate', when not used in its usual teasing manner, had become somewhat of a signal to Hook that he was in big trouble and would most likely be sleeping on the couch that night, away from any warmth his girlfriend had to offer. The captain trudged after the blond into the living room, unprepared for this sure-to-be awkward and tense reunion.

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><p><strong>Not as perfect as I planned. I originally planned to add in the story of why Hook gave her up and how he did it but I felt that it would be too soon to throw that at you guys. Thank you for reading. Feel free to leave reviews. Thank you!<strong>

**-alice**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you all for your kind reviews and follows! I really appreciate it!**

**Anyways, enjoy the third installation of: **_**Of the Sea**_**!**

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><p>They heard Henry before they entered the loft area where the living room and kitchen were. The eleven year old was talking avidly about his <em>Once Upon a Time<em> book and the adventures he had experienced in the past year and a half. It was a scene they had stumbled upon countless times, usually taking place in a booth at Granny's Diner. It was a similar scene that Emma and Killian had walked in on upon exiting their bedroom.

Henry and Marina had taken to sitting at the counter, bowls of cereal and Henry's book placed between them. Henry flipped through the worn pages while Marina absently pushed her cereal around in its bowl, half listening to the boy with an empty stare in her eyes. Behind them, hidden by the stairs, Emma cleared her throat to gather their attention. The two at the counter turned to look at the adults, Marina's back tensing in apprehension.

"Morning, Mom," Henry greeted cheerily before extending another cheery greeting to Killian, who nodded in reply.

"Henry, I need you to get dressed and head to your grandparents', okay?" Emma requested, subtly ushering Henry away from the stiff teenage girl at the counter and towards his room.

If Henry was suspicious, his nonchalant shrug didn't reveal it; and he trudged off to his room to get ready. While in the kitchen, the three who remained awkwardly stared at each other from different areas of the room. Minutes passed before Henry emerged from his room with his backpack slung over his shoulder, disrupting the uncomfortable silence. Emma was the first to move, walking Henry to the door and kissing the top of his head before he left the apartment. Silence filled the room once again. Marina cleared her throat awkwardly and slid off of the stool by the counter, swaying slightly on the heels of her feet.

"So," Killian started, walking past Marina to take a seat around the coffee table. "Shall we?"

The pirate gestured for the two women to join him with his hook, drawing further into his relaxed façade. Emma briskly crossed from the door to the living room to sit on the couch, leaving the teenage girl to stand. Marina slowly took her seat opposite of her father, on the far end of the couch just out of Emma's reach.

Killian cleared his throat before starting. "Marina, love, what brings you here?"

Both Emma and Marina's heads snapped in his direction, appalled. Emma was shocked whereas Marina was obviously wounded and at a lost for words.

"_What brings me here?_" Marina quoted, the words sounding sour on her lips. "How could you ask that—Ask _me_ that!?" She stood abruptly from the couch. "_You_ brought me here! I came looking for _you_, the father who abandoned me for over sixteen years, and all you can say is: _What brings you here?_ How dare you, you arse!"

Angry tears boiled hotly in her raging grey eyes and Marina stomped the few feet towards her father. She raised a delicate hand to strike him but growled in frustration and settled for jabbing his chest with her finger. Hook flinched with each jab, hand and hook raised slightly off of his lap in a mock defensive position. Emma watched the scene with shocked eyes, slowly taking in the tense reunion.

"You, _Father_, abandoned me! Made me an orphan! How could you bloody live with yourself? I was only a child, _a baby!"_

During a point in Marina's rant, Hook had pleadingly glanced towards the still blond on the couch. After noticing her boyfriend's attentions were on her, she shrugged her shoulders weakly and mouthed something along the lines of, _Hold her._ Hook looked wary at the advice but nonetheless abrupt rose from his seat and encased his daughter in a tight embrace, which did not stop the pained beating against his chest by her angry fists.

"No," she sobbed against his chest, her attack weakening with the two letter word. "No, no, no."

Just like that, Marina crumbled into her father's arms. The teenager relaxed and molded herself into the much-needed embrace, choked sobs being ripped from her lungs. Hook held her like a fragile piece of glass, gently smoothing her hair with his good hand. The man looked gratefully towards the blond, who had taken to ease out of the room in order to start breakfast, and Hook returned to comforting his daughter.

"Hush, love," he cooed into her black tresses. "I've got you now."

Her sobs had turned to hiccups and the duo had taken to swaying slightly on their feet. Marina's hands came to hang tight onto his shirt, refusing to let go in fear of him leaving again. He planted a tender kiss on the crown of her head, a small tear gleaming in his blue eyes.

"I didn't think I'd find you," she whispered.

"Now, love, if my time here has taught me anything, it's that we will always find each other."

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><p><strong>And that is chapter 3! I hope you all enjoyed it. Please leave a review to tell me your thoughts.<strong>

**ONE LAST THING! There is a poll on my bio for this story: What do you want Marina's hobby/job to be? Some of the options are:**

**-Singer -Dancer -Artist AND MORE!**

**So please go to my page to put in your vote! Thank you!**

**-alice**


	4. Chapter 4

**Behold, the fourth chapter!**

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><p>Emma and Killian stood together at the kitchen counter an hour or so later. The two wrapped themselves in each other's embrace, mugs of coffee in hand and eyes set on the couch. Marina had fallen asleep shortly after their tear-filled reconciliation, weary from the emotional stress. Killian's eyes locked on the figure of his sleeping daughter, trying to figure out how he could have missed her blossoming into a woman.<p>

"She's beautiful, Killian," Emma whispered softly, breaking the thoughtful silence.

"Sixteen years," he murmured in reply, almost somberly. "Sixteen years on her own, no mother or father, being bounced around strangers' homes; all because I was so set on my revenge that I willed myself to give her up. She's almost seventeen, for goodness' sake."

Emma peered up at Killian, whose eyes were filled with shame and regret. She knew the look well from her own experiences with Henry. The blond brought a tender hand up to Hook's face, bringing him out of his thoughts. He looked at her and forced a small smile, kissing her tenderly on the forehead. His lips lingered on her skin for a few moments as he took in a deep breath of her scent.

"What would I do without you?" he murmured, so lowly she almost didn't hear. He bent down to kiss her softly on her lips and the tip of her nose. "Thank you, Swan."

"You have a beautiful and healthy girl, Killian," she reminded him, offering hope with her words. "She came back to you. You can relax now."

Hook nodded in agreement and pulled Emma into a grateful kiss. Emma sighed contentedly and smiled when Killian pulled away to stare into her hazel orbs. He gave her one more kiss before approaching the sleeping form of Marina, gently brushing away the black curls that fell in her face.

"Oh, Marina," he stammered softly. "I will never let you go again, Captain's word."

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><p><span><em>Two to three hours later:<em>

"So long, Belle. I'll see you for dinner," promised Mr. Gold while he was leaving the library, having brought Belle some lunch.

"_Thank you!"_ called Marina over her shoulder as she exited Granny's Diner, packaged food in hand.

Rumpel froze in his tracks at the sight of the new yet familiar face of Marina. Confusion etched itself into his features. _Milah?_ He pondered. Before he knew it, his feet were carrying him towards the black-haired teen, his cane tapping hurriedly against the pavement. At the sound of the brisk tapping, Marina gripped the bag of food tightly in her fist and quickened her pace; Rumpel struggled to keep up with her.

He caught a quick glimpse of her grey eyes peeking over her shoulder before she sharply turned a corner in an attempt to lose him. He walked by her tense body—noting in his peripherals that she relaxed some when he was no longer behind her—before spinning on his heel and pinning her against the brick wall with his cane pressed harshly into her chest. She struggled against the pressure, jerking her body in order to throw him off but he held firm.

His eyes scanned her face, taking in the strikingly familiar features of his late wife yet the notable differences that disproved his assumption of who he was. However, he kept her still against the wall and his unrelenting hold, trying to decipher why the rest of her features—the features that didn't scream Milan at him—seemed strikingly familiar as well. He opened his mouth to question her and—

"Mr. Gold!"

"Release my daughter, crocodile!"

Rumpelstiltskin recoiled from the girl immediately at the sound of those familiar voices, spinning to gaze at them blankly. Hook was the first of the duo to move, quickly moving to Marina's side. Marina heaved and gasped for breath, rubbing the bruising area of her chest where Rumpel had pressed his cane against.

"Y-your daughter?" he was able to say, the puzzle pieces slowly clicking his head.

Hook ignored the pawn broker and instead took Marina under his arm, ushering her in the direction of the apartment. "Come on, lass, let's get you home."

The father and daughter passed Mr. Gold silently, Marina with her head bowed and Hook glaring daggers at him. Mr. Gold turned his gaze to the blond, who had been silent throughout the whole encounter and only gave him a disgusted shake of her head before following her boyfriend. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Peter step out of the pawn shop and approach his side.

"What happened?" the teenager asked, eyes following the threesome as they made their way home. "Who is that?"

"That's Milah's daughter."

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><p><strong>And that was chapter four! May I remind you all that there is a poll up on my profile about what Marina's hobby should be! If you haven't voted yet, please do because so far, there's only been one vote!<strong>

**Also, to clear things up about Peter and Rumpel's relationship:**

**-It's been six months since Peter tried to curse Storybrooke and he's now sort of reformed. He's good now, along with Félix and the other lost boys. He also lives with Rumpel and Belle, who have legally taken him into their home as an adopted son since Rumpel is now responsible for him and he's a teenager. More of their story will come into play once Peter and Marina begin to interact more.**

**Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, I apologize for the wait!**

**-alice**


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